Dorcas Ruth Tuft

Our beloved mother, Dorcas Ruth Hunter Tuft, was born April 18, 1949, in Nampa, Idaho, and passed away peacefully on December 7, 2025, in Provo, Utah, surrounded by her children. We find comfort knowing she is reunited with her twin brother, who passed away two years to the day before her.

Mom lived a life full of love, faith, and dedication. She is survived by our dad, her loving husband, Gerry Tuft; her six grateful children—Jennifer (Quentin) Maxwell, Trenton (Sarah) Tuft, Brenda (Ron) Hendrickson, Dustin (Susannah) Tuft, Kellie (Jerry) Asmus, and DeAnna (Bryan) Ashworth; and her sister, Eral Hunter; brother, John Hunter; half-sister, Charleen Spiers; and three half-brothers, Robert Gray, Kay Gray, and Jay Gray. She leaves behind 26 grandchildren (plus one who preceded her in death, for a total of 27), as well as 15 great-grandchildren and one more on the way. She was preceded in death by her brother David and her loving parents Robert and Mary Hunter.

Mom’s faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was at the center of her life. She served in many callings, but one of her greatest joys was sending birthday cards to the sisters in her ward, always finding ways to connect and uplift others.

Education was her passion, and she devoted 33 years to teaching. She began her career by stepping in to save her town’s small school band program, igniting a lifelong love for teaching. She taught 8th grade Math, Choir, and band, learning every instrument (though she especially loved the piano, flute, and guitar), and inspired countless students. She first attended BYU before marrying and starting a family. Despite raising six children, she returned to school and completed her degree at Utah State University, even spending summers away from us—all so she could come home and teach us by example.

Mom’s life was filled with music, laughter, and adventure. She loved traveling with Dad and collecting bells from every state—a tradition we and her grandchildren delighted in helping her with. Her home was a place of beauty and warmth, full of music, gardens, and animals—especially the flocks of ducks she loved to feed. She had a gift for making the ordinary special, whether it was solving puzzles and watching mysteries, quilting, sewing, or crafting. She made baby quilts for each grandchild, sewed wedding dresses, and passed her love of sewing to her daughters. After retirement, her creativity blossomed even more, as she learned embroidery and piecing quilts, making treasured gifts for our family. Theatre, movies, and music brought her so much joy, and she shared that joy with us all—often filling our home with singalongs.

We will gather to celebrate her life at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 11, 2025 at the Lakeside 3rd Ward Chapel, 102 North 2400 West, Provo, Utah, with a viewing from 9:30-10:45 a.m. prior to services. The graveside dedication will be held at Provo City Cemetery following the service. Condolences may be extended online at www.bergmortuary.com.

We are deeply grateful for the love and support shown to our family and welcome all who wish to honor and remember our dear mother. We encourage friends and family to leave memories and upload photos on the memorial page to celebrate the remarkable life of Dorcas Tuft.

For those unable to attend, a live stream of the service will be available at https://my.gather.app/remember/dorcas-tuft.